Build me an itx rig!

[samwisekoi]

I stopped reading/participating in PC forums a couple of years ago, and I have no energy to get back into it. I figured many of you are knowledgeable and could throw together a list of parts for me.

I need:
-itx form factor
-smallest case possible that is not flashy
-speedy yet ability to undervolt (I enjoy getting highest clocks while undervolting as much as possible)
-QUIET!!!!!! It needs to be pretty much silent as I have problems with white noise. I currently use a seasonic PSU that the fan never runs unless I'm doing something intensive.
-very light gaming ability (TF2, Torchlight, etc)
-cheap

Thanks in advance for all advice, help, builds! 

Here is my SFF gaming rig, optimized for silence in normal operation.  (Components updated to Newegg prices as of 29-Jun-2014.)

SilverStone Sugo Series SG05BB-450-USB3.0 Case
  $119.99
ASRock H61MV-ITX LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI Mini ITX Intel Motherboard
  49.99
Intel Core i5-3470 Ivy Bridge Quad-Core 3.2GHz (3.6GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 77W CPU
  189.99
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600 RAM
  82.99
Noctua NH-L9i 95mm SSO2 CPU Cooler
   47.99
Noctua NF-P12-1300 120mm Case Fan
  25.99
Crucial MX100 CT256MX100SSD1 2.5" 256GB SATA III SSD
 114.99
Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive
  84.99

Total: $716.92

Configure 60GB of the SSD as Intel SRT disk cache OR just use the SSD for mass storage.  The result is a tiny case you can have on your desk without any noise, and play some games with the IGPU.  Optional add-ons include a slim optical drive and if you want to really game, pretty much any GPU with a reasonable length.

Currently I have an MSI 7870 GHz Edition GPU, so that isn't quiet when gaming, but sitting here right now it is very quiet.  The Noctuas are naturally silent.

Oh, I chose the Noctua NF-P12 to push through the tight passages of an ITX build.  I have tried many fans in this case, and the Noctua was the quietest.

Also, since this isn't an overclocked build AND I have that AMD GPU, I did not personally bother with the Noctua CPU cooler.  Mine has a stock i7 CPU cooler, which is fine for a stock-clock i5 gaming CPU.  Especially since I never use a stock Intel CPU cooler on an i7, I keep them around when I have to cool a lesser Intel CPU.

In my experience, a Haswell processor won't help your gaming, and will increase heat and therefore noise.  An Ivy Bridge is needed to get XMP memory speeds.  Also, the PSU that comes with the Silverstone case has short cables, which are huge helps in any ITX build.

Enjoy your options!

 - Ron | samwisekoi

p.s.  I also have a Logitech F710 wireless gamepad, currently $44.99 and a Roccat Savu mouse, currently $69.98.

[byker]

A few months ago, I built this: http://pcpartpicker.com/user/mtnbkyer/saved/PD4NnQ
Here are some pics:

Show Image

Show Image

My favourite computer to date. It packs a punch with an I5 and gtx 770 and I love this case. The evga Hadron Air is small, but it fits everything i need and looks amazing. Sorry for the bad quality photos.. Let me know if you have any questions about building itx or anything.

I really like the slim profile psu..



whussup with people n0 get Overclock 

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40% increase in cpu ipc performance is pretty seriously up there

delidding is free
and the haswell and ivy chips can do 4.8 on 212+ 212evo  which cost between free to $20 on sale.

For me, in Canada, the price would have been atleast an extra $150 to get OC capability, which I decided to instead spend on upgrading from the 760 to the 770, giving me a bigger increase in performance then OCing

[cribbit]

As someone who builds computers for clients as a hobby, some of the things in this thread just make me shudder.

Anyways, some builds.

My current build:

i7-4770 (new)
Gigabyte H81 (new)
Gigabyte Windforce R9 280x (used)
16gb Ballistix Tactical Low Profile (1.35v, 1600MHz 9cas) (used)
256gb Samsung 840 Evo SSD (new)
650W EVGA Gold modular PSU (new)

Total cost: $700 about a month ago

No OC because it really doesn't increase actual speeds that much. I could've gotten a 290x for $125 more, but I wouldn't have used its power. 8gb ram is enough for 95% of the gaming population, but I multibox eve and do lots of programming VMs etc so I actually use it.

I'm about to mount this on the wall above my desk as soon as the riser cables come in, special 10 inch one with an extender. Used to be in a Corsair 300R. The stock cooler performs fine but I'm considering shelling out a bit for a nicer top down like the Noctua NH-L12.

My current staple build for clients:

i5-4670 (4770 for $100 more)
Gigabyte H81
Reference R9 290x (like-new, not mined)
8gb standard 1.5v 1600MHz 9 cas ram (+8gb for $70 more)
120gb SSD
1tb harddrive
650-750W bronze modular PSU
Case of choice

Total cost to client: $1000

Light gaming build

Pentium G3258
Gigabyte H81
AMD 7850 (7870 or 7950 sometimes put in for a bit more)
4gb standard ram
60gb SSD
500gb harddrive
450W bronze PSU
Random case (I usually let them provide one and give a discount)

Total cost to client: $500

[tp4tissue]

As someone who builds computers for clients as a hobby, some of the things in this thread just make me shudder.

Anyways, some builds.

My current build:

i7-4770 (new)
Gigabyte H81 (new)
Gigabyte Windforce R9 280x (used)
16gb Ballistix Tactical Low Profile (1.35v, 1600MHz 9cas) (used)
256gb Samsung 840 Evo SSD (new)
650W EVGA Gold modular PSU (new)

Total cost: $700 about a month ago

No OC because it really doesn't increase actual speeds that much. I could've gotten a 290x for $125 more, but I wouldn't have used its power. 8gb ram is enough for 95% of the gaming population, but I multibox eve and do lots of programming VMs etc so I actually use it.

I'm about to mount this on the wall above my desk as soon as the riser cables come in, special 10 inch one with an extender. Used to be in a Corsair 300R. The stock cooler performs fine but I'm considering shelling out a bit for a nicer top down like the Noctua NH-L12.

My current staple build for clients:

i5-4670 (4770 for $100 more)
Gigabyte H81
Reference R9 290x (like-new, not mined)
8gb standard 1.5v 1600MHz 9 cas ram (+8gb for $70 more)
120gb SSD
1tb harddrive
650-750W bronze modular PSU
Case of choice

Total cost to client: $1000

Light gaming build

Pentium G3258
Gigabyte H81
AMD 7850 (7870 or 7950 sometimes put in for a bit more)
4gb standard ram
60gb SSD
500gb harddrive
450W bronze PSU
Random case (I usually let them provide one and give a discount)

Total cost to client: $500

4gb ram.. what is this 2003 ?

[cribbit]

You should graph your ram usage history. There are very few cases where you'll ever break 3gb usage unless you're super lazy about closing unneeded programs. It's certainly not a bottleneck while gaming. And really, it's a $400 build + $100 labor, another 4gb ram is 10% of build cost.

[domoaligato]

You should graph your ram usage history. There are very few cases where you'll ever break 3gb usage unless you're super lazy about closing unneeded programs. It's certainly not a bottleneck while gaming. And really, it's a $400 build + $100 labor, another 4gb ram is 10% of build cost.

arma3,dayz, wolfenstein.

[cribbit]

You should graph your ram usage history. There are very few cases where you'll ever break 3gb usage unless you're super lazy about closing unneeded programs. It's certainly not a bottleneck while gaming. And really, it's a $400 build + $100 labor, another 4gb ram is 10% of build cost.

arma3,dayz, wolfenstein.

And if a client came to me saying they wanted to play those more intensive games, I would tell them they should spend more than $500 on a rig. The G3258 wouldn't handle arma well, long before the 4gb ram became an issue. Anyways, since it's a single 4gb stick they can put in another 4gb stick for $40 if they actually find it to be an issue.

[domoaligato]

just out of curiousity... why itx?
micro atx provides more options and in regards to case design most itx cases are about the same size as a micro-atx case anyways.


edit:also... buy a board with a z97 chipset so you can upgrade the cpu later. otherwise your stuck in older gen cpu's. This alone will require a mobo that is $130-$190 USD.

mini-itx

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007627%20600438202%20600009028%20600491547%208000&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&page=1



and a link for micro atx

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007627%20600438202%20600491547%208000%20600009017&IsNodeId=1&name=Micro%20ATX

[cribbit]

Z87 and many other 80 series chipsets can have their bios updated to accept Haswell Refresh. Same way that Ivy Bridge and Sandy Bridge can be on the same boards (with some exceptions).

[domoaligato]

http://www.corsair.com/en-us/blog/2014/may/intel_z97_and_h97_chipsets_what_you_need_to_know

If you’re already rocking an 8 series board, there isn’t a major impetus for you to make the jump to the new chipsets. We’ll be doing testing in the future to see if Z97 offers superior overclocking potential, but unless you have your heart set on M.2 or SATA Express, or you’re planning on investing in Devil’s Canyon or Broadwell, you’ll probably be fine sticking with Z87.

Yes many manufacturers have rumored to be able to provide compatible support for the newer cpu's. But how far forward? This is yet to be discussed with the public.

If your buying a new PC anyways, why not spend the $10-$20 more to buy the newest chipset that follows Intel's roadmap?

[cribbit]

Used Z87 boards can be found pretty cheap, even nice ones. I'd rather have a $250 board for $150 than a $150 board for $150. And you can probably find said Z87's even cheaper.

Typically, there's no real need to upgrade CPU for a long time. There's only a few percent difference in an OC 2600k vs OC 4770k, and like 10% difference at stock. A 4770 or 4790 won't need to upgrade for at least a whole socket, perhaps even two.

That said, getting a cheaper i5 now such as the 4440 and then going for a nice Z97 i7 later when the used ones are cheap is very viable and a good upgrade path. Of course, that's if you don't need the i7 power now.

[domoaligato]

I built a system for a clan member using a 4790k and he gets around 700-999 fps in csgo and I get around 280-480+ in csgo with my 2600k.
granted he has a gtx 760 and I have 2x GTX 580s in SLI but csgo is mostly a cpu dependent game because of the source engines evolution from the idtech engine.

either way it makes me want to upgrade again. but I have to resist the urge.

[cribbit]

There's something else going on there. SLI can be quite stupid with how it does things, and it does very different things in different games. And when you break 120fps, even 60fps you really have just random stuff going on - things will artificially bottleneck themselves when they're putting out more frames than you can ever use.

I've only worked with a couple of 2600k's and a handful of 4770k's, but adding what I've read by other accounts, it comes down more to the silicon lottery than the chip architecture itself. In the end, if you're buying stuff now obviously buy a 1150 chip, but if you already have a 1155 chip there's no need to hop to 1150 yet.

[tp4tissue]

G3258_______________________________  $60
Z97 MSI pc mate openbox + 2 years warranty, $40 + $5
Kingston 2400mhz 8GB __________________ $75
Corsair CX450 __________________________$15
Zalman Optima 120mm cooler _____________$15
Antec P280 ____________________________$40
Crucial 240gb ssd _______________________$110
ATI radeon 4870 ________________________$50
2 TB Samsung Spinpoint __________________$60

$470..  4.6ghz..@ 1.29v  4.8ghz @  1.4

This is by far the most economical build I've ever had,  The g3258 is a miracle




4 rebates,

gpu, ssd, harddrive, psu were all recycled from old pc.






4670k                      ~200
Z97 Microatx           ~120
8gb 2400mhz          ~80
case                       ~20
Psu 660watt seasonic ~80 
SSD 256gb               ~110-120
NHD14 cooler            ~ 70
290x                       ~ 420
120mm AIO cooler for 290x  ~ 60

This whole build will be   ~  $1170

And can Overclock the shiznitz.. 

If you want it in MITX,  tak on another $150 (more expensive mobo / case / cpu cooler)

[domoaligato]

There's something else going on there. SLI can be quite stupid with how it does things, and it does very different things in different games. And when you break 120fps, even 60fps you really have just random stuff going on - things will artificially bottleneck themselves when they're putting out more frames than you can ever use.

we can take this to pms because I am sure this is not helping him much.

[cribbit]

Eh, I think we've both said our bit

G3258_______________________________  $60
Z97 MSI pc mate openbox + 2 years warranty, $40 + $5
Kingston 2400mhz 8GB __________________ $75
Corsair CX450 __________________________$15
Zalman Optima 120mm cooler _____________$15
Antec P280 ____________________________$40
Crucial 240gb ssd _______________________$110
ATI radeon 4870 ________________________$50
2 TB Samsung Spinpoint __________________$60

$470..  4.6ghz..@ 1.29v  4.8ghz @  1.4

This is by far the most economical build I've ever had,  The g3258 is a miracle




4 rebates,

gpu, ssd, harddrive, psu were all recycled from old pc.

Nice! Is that CPU + mobo the $100 microcenter bundle? That ram is sliiightly overkill I must say. You might also want to look at getting a 7870 or 7950 now, they're super cheap and can run most games at med-high 1080p.

[tp4tissue]

Eh, I think we've both said our bit

G3258_______________________________  $60
Z97 MSI pc mate openbox + 2 years warranty, $40 + $5
Kingston 2400mhz 8GB __________________ $75
Corsair CX450 __________________________$15
Zalman Optima 120mm cooler _____________$15
Antec P280 ____________________________$40
Crucial 240gb ssd _______________________$110
ATI radeon 4870 ________________________$50
2 TB Samsung Spinpoint __________________$60

$470..  4.6ghz..@ 1.29v  4.8ghz @  1.4

This is by far the most economical build I've ever had,  The g3258 is a miracle




4 rebates,

gpu, ssd, harddrive, psu were all recycled from old pc.

Nice! Is that CPU + mobo the $100 microcenter bundle? That ram is sliiightly overkill I must say. You might also want to look at getting a 7870 or 7950 now, they're super cheap and can run most games at med-high 1080p.

The ram, I couldn't find any deals on cheaper ram.. I found a 1600mhz 4gb stick with a $40 rebate...  for $20 a piece final price..  I'm like.. Fffff... Might as well get the Kingston

My dad plays Internet explorer 11, Firefox, and microsoft outlook @ 1080p

[domoaligato]

Eh, I think we've both said our bit

G3258_______________________________  $60
Z97 MSI pc mate openbox + 2 years warranty, $40 + $5
Kingston 2400mhz 8GB __________________ $75
Corsair CX450 __________________________$15
Zalman Optima 120mm cooler _____________$15
Antec P280 ____________________________$40
Crucial 240gb ssd _______________________$110
ATI radeon 4870 ________________________$50
2 TB Samsung Spinpoint __________________$60

$470..  4.6ghz..@ 1.29v  4.8ghz @  1.4

This is by far the most economical build I've ever had,  The g3258 is a miracle




4 rebates,

gpu, ssd, harddrive, psu were all recycled from old pc.

Nice! Is that CPU + mobo the $100 microcenter bundle? That ram is sliiightly overkill I must say. You might also want to look at getting a 7870 or 7950 now, they're super cheap and can run most games at med-high 1080p.

The ram, I couldn't find any deals on cheaper ram.. I found a 1600mhz 4gb stick with a $40 rebate...  for $20 a piece final price..  I'm like.. Fffff... Might as well get the Kingston

My dad plays Internet explorer 11, Firefox, and microsoft outlook @ 1080p

Show Image

intel graphics would suit your dad then :p

[tp4tissue]

Eh, I think we've both said our bit

G3258_______________________________  $60
Z97 MSI pc mate openbox + 2 years warranty, $40 + $5
Kingston 2400mhz 8GB __________________ $75
Corsair CX450 __________________________$15
Zalman Optima 120mm cooler _____________$15
Antec P280 ____________________________$40
Crucial 240gb ssd _______________________$110
ATI radeon 4870 ________________________$50
2 TB Samsung Spinpoint __________________$60

$470..  4.6ghz..@ 1.29v  4.8ghz @  1.4

This is by far the most economical build I've ever had,  The g3258 is a miracle




4 rebates,

gpu, ssd, harddrive, psu were all recycled from old pc.

Nice! Is that CPU + mobo the $100 microcenter bundle? That ram is sliiightly overkill I must say. You might also want to look at getting a 7870 or 7950 now, they're super cheap and can run most games at med-high 1080p.

The ram, I couldn't find any deals on cheaper ram.. I found a 1600mhz 4gb stick with a $40 rebate...  for $20 a piece final price..  I'm like.. Fffff... Might as well get the Kingston

My dad plays Internet explorer 11, Firefox, and microsoft outlook @ 1080p

Show Image

intel graphics would suit your dad then :p

it would increase the CPU temp slightly .. slightly elevating system instability

[domoaligato]

no way. if that were the case then intel would have massive recalls from all the oems selling default intel setups.

[tp4tissue]

no way. if that were the case then intel would have massive recalls from all the oems selling default intel setups.

using IGP increases cpu temperature slightly..  that's always been the case.. so If I'm overclocking.. that increase the likelihood of instability..

[domoaligato]

no way. if that were the case then intel would have massive recalls from all the oems selling default intel setups.

using IGP increases cpu temperature slightly..  that's always been the case.. so If I'm overclocking.. that increase the likelihood of instability..

so is it for you or your dad?

[tp4tissue]

no way. if that were the case then intel would have massive recalls from all the oems selling default intel setups.

using IGP increases cpu temperature slightly..  that's always been the case.. so If I'm overclocking.. that increase the likelihood of instability..

so is it for you or your dad?

g3258 was for dad..  should be solid for another 6 years.. by my estimates..

[cribbit]

IMO the best thing about using a G3258 is that since it's about the cheapest 1150 socket chip right now, when it's not powerful enough in however long of time you can just get a used 4770k or something for cheap by then.

Integrated graphics won't push your heat by much. But, if you have an old GPU like that lying around there's no reason not to use it.

[tp4tissue]

IMO the best thing about using a G3258 is that since it's about the cheapest 1150 socket chip right now, when it's not powerful enough in however long of time you can just get a used 4770k or something for cheap by then.

Integrated graphics won't push your heat by much. But, if you have an old GPU like that lying around there's no reason not to use it.

the g3258's integrated gfx is only like 1/3 the power of the intel HD iris in the 4xxx cpus.

so....  it's not really powerful enough to handle madvr renderer for movie watching..

that's why I chose to put the ol' 4870 in there..